The Curse of Unknown
by seagurl3
Summary: Life for Percy was great. 2 wars down, one senior year about to be over, and one giant swim competition… Until a little curse got in the way of it all. Meanwhile, Zeus sat on Olympus, minding his own business, when a very angry Poseidon flashed in yelling "Something about 'wings'." Oops. OC is not love interest, sorry not sorry/ /Updates every Wednesday (hopefully)
1. Chapter 1

I did not expect to wake up to this.

Monsters? Sure, I could handle that.

Gods? A little worse, but I can deal with that.

Angry moms? Pushing it a little, but yeah.

A burning pain in my back with 2 bright red scars running diagonally from my mid-shoulder to mid back? Um, wtf, why?

I stood in front of the mirror, looking over my shoulder at the reflection for the 13th time. The jagged red lines burned their way into my skin, which boiled and peeled away from the wound like bark on a chipped tree.

I tried, once more, to pour water on the wound. Instantly, the bottle was sent flying across the room as another blast of pain rippled through my back. My vision blackened dramatically and I held back a hiss.

A moment passed and my vision cleared. A gentle tap at my door startled me. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on as Mom opened the door.

"Perce? Is everything okay?" She sounded worried as she walked into the room. Her eyes drifted to the pile of water bottles on the floor and the wall covered in water.

"Uh, yeah… I just sneezed." I lied, pretending to sniffle. She crossed her arms.

"Oh no, she have no time to have cold feet, mister. Your last swim meet is today, and then tomorrow is your competition."

"I know, I know… it was just a sneeze. I'll clean this up…"

I turned and held my breath, hoping that Mom couldn't see through the shirt. I extended my hand and the water obeyed, sucking itself out of the carpet and into a giant bubble of water. I willed it outside, where the water broke and spilled over the fire escape.

"There we go. All better."

Mom sighed. "Pancakes in 3 minutes. I expect you to NOT be late?"

"Well I'm ready right now, so… off to pancakes I go!"

* * *

The day didn't last long. My friends waved me goodbye with their college applications to Yale, Harvard, and a dozen other Ivy League schools. The teachers all slapped me on the back (right where the weird wound was) and wished me luck on the competition tomorrow. A few football players gave me thumbs up from across the hall, which gave me the impression that they were going to be at the meet today.

But as the day went by, worry filled my chest. What if I couldn't get in the water? It wasn't like I could hide the hideous red marks on my back. I couldn't manipulate the mist like Thalia or Hazel could. Nor could I will part of my body dry. The water burned me when it touched the wound, and that was only a few drops. I'd hate to see what happens if I jumped into the pool.

With dread on my chest, I walked into the pool-room.

Instantly I was greeted by 3 dozen people. Some of them were cheerleaders (like, actual mortal ones), some of them were football players, some of them were traditional football players (aka soccer), but most of them were the swim team.

"Percy! The star of the pool!" Barry Chris, one of my friends and swimmates, tackled me in a bear hug. His nails dug into my wound, making me bite my tongue in pain.

"Hey… hey." I stammered softly. My vision blurred slightly. Barry pulled away from me, and I recovered.

"Dude, today is gonna be the last day I see you. I mean, other than the competition tomorrow, which you are totally gonna kill!" He smiled, white teeth flashing. "You excited?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah.. About that-"

"Great!" He clapped his hand on my back and guided me towards the locker room. "I can't wait-"

I pulled away, slipping through the crowd and towards Couch Judy.

Yes, laugh all you want, but she looked nothing like Judge Judy. She was a tall woman with coily blonde hair, a perky face, blue eyes, and slender figure.

"Hey, Miss?" I slid beside the mystery man she was talking to, gaining the coach's attention. Her eyes brighten.

"Oh, look! Our star swimmer. Percy, I'd like you to meet Edward Smith. He's the head of Ohio State University. I was just talking to him about getting you a scholarship to Ohio State when you win the competition tomorrow!"

I turned to face the man. He was tall, dark, and oddly handsome. Blue eyes looked down at me like Ouranus looked down at Gaia. (No, bad thought. Never think that again.) He had black hair speckled lightly with grey, though he didn't look a day over 25. His skin reminded me of Hercules', like copper without the shine. I forced myself to look away from him, remembering why I had came over.

"Yeah, about that…"

"Great!" She clapped her hands together, shoving her clipboard under her arm. "Now if you could-"

"Miss, I can't go to the swim competition tomorrow."

She stopped mid-sentence. "Wha… what?"

I took a deep breath in. "I can't go. Something important popped up that I have to go to. I'm… I'm leaving today. I don't know when I'll be back."

I was vaguely aware of the crowd behind me. Coach looked confused for a moment, then laughed.

"Percy, you aren't getting cold feet, are you? Now go get changed, I want to show Ed how fast you can go 10-"

"This isn't a joke!" I demanded, making her take a step back in shock. "Something happened and I have to figure it out. I am sorry, you'll have to pick someone else to represent us."

I took a deeper breath in. "I recommend Rose. She… she's a great swimmer. I'm pretty sure she's going to win tomorrow."

And with that, I turned on my heels and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

* * *

The air was much colder than it should have been for late May. However, that didn't stop Percy in his tracks. Zeus watched with intense fascination as his nephew easily navigated the streets of Manhattan like the god use to navigate Greece.

Unfortunately for both of them, they were stuck in an impossible situation. Percy for not being able to do the thing he loved most, and Zeus for causing it.

 _Your mistake, you fix it!_

The words still rang in his eyes. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the ichor-flushed face of his angry older brother. Poseidon was so terrifying that Zeus had been too scared to punish him. No one talks to the king god like that and gets away with it.

But he's right. It's all your fault. Because you got angry.

That little voice in his head made him frown. Yeah sure, he probably shouldn't have cursed the child, but he also was apart of the broken oath. And on a plane with his weapon, one of the greatest insults Zeus could imagine.

Now he was stuck with a possibly unfixable curse with no idea what it did in the first place. When he casted it, he spoke a curse that he'd never used before. How was he supposed to know what it was?

Zeus frowned, looking back down at the demigod of the sea.

 _Your mistake._

 _You fix it_.


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke up, I had no idea where I was.

Mostly because I was falling.

Instinctively, I tucked in a barrel roll, landing not-so-gracefully on my feet. My back flared in pain and I collapsed promptly on my ass, my world spinning.

What day was it?

I thought for a moment. The last thing I remember, I was storming out of the school…

But what happened after that?

I tried to think, subconsciously leaning back against the tree.

Dull pain spiked down my arm and I hissed, sitting back up straight.

Wait… my arm?

Instantly, I slipped my shirt off and looked behind me.

"Oh… My.. Gods."

I was face to face with soft feathered-gold, white, and brown wings.

Where the 2 red scars had been was the point where my skin met feathers. They looked so soft and fragile, but so realistic at the same time.

Slowly, I willed them to flutter out. I watched in awe as they extended out until they were about 15 feet long.

"Holy Zeus." I mumbled. "Gods, they are beautiful… how…?"

My words caught in my throat. I had wings. Not fake halloween costume wings. Not Daedelus-grade wings. Real, in the flesh, wings.

Zeus was going to kill me.

I heard a giggle to my left. I turned to see a girl with mossy green hair and dark-oak toned skin hiding shyly behind a tree.

My face burned bright red.

"Uh… Don't tell anyone, please?"

She giggled and held a finger to other mouth in a shushing matter. Then she melted back into her tree without a word.

I was left alone in embarrassment.

Silently, I pulled on my shirt and set off on foot towards the sound of morning traffic.

* * *

"You did what?!"

Athena's sharp pitch made Zeus flinch.

"I may or may not have cursed Percy."

Athena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Passive aggressive answers are not allowed."

"Okay! So I placed a curse on Percy. Poseidon's mad at me and I don't know what to do."

"Well of course Barnacle Beard is mad at you!" She screeched, much like an owl. "His only mortal son is living with… whatever you gave him."

"Wings…" Zeus muttered. Athena's expression changed.

"Wait… what?"

"When I cursed Percy, I wasn't thinking straight. I was angry that he was in my domain with my weapon. I accidentally cursed Percy with wings."

Athena's expression turned cold as stone. Her poker face held so much muted anger that Zeus almost assumed she would smit him with her owl staff.

Finally, she sighed.

"There isn't much I could do, Dad."

"But you're the goddess of knowledge!" The king protested. Athena shook her head.

"As prejudice as I might be, there is nothing I can do. You, on the other hand…" She fidgeted with her cape. "You're going to have to find a way to make Percy forgive you. And, most importantly, to get you to forgive Percy. Emotion-driven curses are tricky like that, and they work their way into souls, like termites in a tree. You might be able to drive the curse out, but the damage… It might be irreversible."

Zeus sighed. "I guess… I could smit him?"

Athena frowned. "That is the worst idea I've heard since Ares proposed more 'Can You Weave Better Than A Goddess?' should be filmed."

Zeus grumbled. "Fine. I'll… I'll see if I can talk to Percy."

"Seems fair. And, Dad, I'd avoid telling anyone else. Percy is as infamous as he is famous. Many gods would jump at the chance to kill him in his confused state."

"Gee, thanks for the warning." He said sarcastically. Athena smiled.

"Welcome!" And with that, she puffed away in a sparkly spray of gold light, leaving the King God alone in his private quarters.

* * *

Hitchhiking that the worst option in a situation like this.

Sure, I could probably fly, but Zeus kinda hates me, so that's out of the window.

I stood at the edge of the road, watching the traffic buzz along at 30 miles an hour. Judging by the mile marker, I was 10 miles away from Manhattan, which was _totally_ reassuring.

It was freezing cold outside, despite the fact it was the end of May and it should have been 80 degrees out, not 30.

But, sure enough, it was snowing in May.

I watched faces slip past me as each car drove on without slowly down for me. For a while I walked along the edge of the road. The farther I got from Olympus, the warmer it seems to get.

Or maybe it was so cold that I was going numb. I couldn't tell anymore.

I hobbled the edge of the highway for a half an hour before an RV pulled over on the side of the road. I shivered softly and looked up at it.

A man in his 40's climbed out of the front seat.

"Hey, bud, you okay?"

His accent was thick and very American, like the redneck accents you hear people try to mimic. I looked up, offering a weak smile.

"Ye… yeah, I'm fff… fine?"

He frowned and started towards me. Instinctively, I reached into my pocket for Riptide. The man stopped dead in his tracks.

Great.

I took a step back from him.

Then he did something unexpected.

He lifted his sleeve on his right arm just enough to show a barcode of 10 lines and a few letters: SPQR.

"You sure you're okay? I don't bite."

My teeth chattered. "No." I admitted, almost sobbing. "I have no idea what I'm even doing out here, where I'm going, or how I got here in the first place. I just… I just want a normal life for once."

The man's face softened and he walked over, wrapping his jacket around me.

"Let's get you in the RV. I might be able to contact camp for you."

I shook my head. "I'm trying to avoid the demigod side… at least for now."

He hesitated, before nodding. "Okay."

The man guided me to the vehicle, helping me inside and onto the couch. I heard the man's wife chattering about something in the background , but for some reason the pull of sleep was too strong. The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

* * *

Poseidon couldn't believe it.

His only mortal son, only mortal _child_ , had wings.

Of all the things he could have been cursed with, it just had to be _wings_.

The biggest insult of all: It was Zeus' fault.

Triton lounged lazily on his throne, watching his dad pace angrily around the room.

"10 drachmas states he takes his rage out on Florida." Kym whispered, leaning closer to her older brother.

Triton thought for a moment. "Naw, Florida has been in his good graces lately. He'd probably attack North Carolina."

"No way would he do that. There is no point!" Kym defended, crossing her arms. Rhode sighed.

"Would you two stop it?" She chided. "Dad's mad and no one else knows why."

Triton huffed. "Probably about Percy."

"Oh gods, don't even get me started on Percy." Kym scowled. "Good for nothing demigod stuckup."

"Children," Amphitrite said, playing with a sea-bass. "Please be mindful that your father is right here and is going to tell us _exactly_ what's on his mind."

"Hm?" Poseidon looked at his wife, who had a steeled look on her face. "Oh, yes, sorry dear. It's Zeus again."

"Ew, that guy?" Rhode wrinkled her gills. "What did he do this time?"

Poseidon spun in trident around in his hand, watching the whirlpools it made. "He cursed Percy."

Triton nearly choked. "He what? I mean, I understand that Percy's not the most _respectful_ demigod, but surely he wouldn't have been _cursed_."

Poseidon scowled. "Yes, I wish that were the case. Apparently this was while the boy was 12… Zeus has always been the jealous type. He wished it was his own child who had brought back his bolt and saved Olympus."

"Dear, if you don't mind me asking," Amphitrite gently pet her pet bass. "What exactly was Perseu- Percy cursed with? Permanent case of the flu? Chronic Irish Dancing?"

Kym tried to keep a straight face, but the idea of her youngest mortal brother constantly having to dance was a brilliant image.

"Wings."

Kym choked. Triton fell off his throne in pure surprise. Rhode nearly impaled herself with her dagger. Amphitrite's eyes widen.

"W-wings? As… as in…" Kym sputtered out.

"Bird wings, yes." Poseidon looked down.

"Holy Black Sea, Percy has actual functioning wings? Like a harpy?" Triton sat up, leaning against his throne for support.

"Much like the Boreads, only these ones are white, gold, and brown instead of purple."

"My gods, my little brother has wings…" Rhode blinked. Then she smiled. "Hey, maybe he could finally beat Triton in that race."

Triton wrinkled his gills. "As if!"

Kym smirked. "What is it, dear brother? Afraid that a punny mortal could be better than you?"

"Why you little-"

"Children, please." Amphitrite chided. "Why don't you 3 go set up the table for dinner tonight?"

The three gods looked nervously between them. Amphitrite's sweet gaze turned sour. "Now."

"Yes mama." The three sea children flashed out of the throne room. Poseidon looked half relieved.

"Dear, I understand that Percy means a lot to you. He is quite the charmer, if I do say so myself." Amphitrite got up and glided to her husband. "But you must remember that he is still a hero, and he must find his own way around this curse."

Poseidon frowned, but nodded. "I suppose you're right…."

"I know I am, sweets." She kissed his cheek, wrapping herself around him. Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"So that part where you refered to my son as a… charmer…?"

Amphitrite laughed. "Oh dear, it was merely a compliment."

Poseidon frowned. "You don't have hots for Percy, do you?"

Amphitrite shrugged nonchalantly. "No clue what you are talking about, dear husband."

Poseidon chuckled softly. "Whatever you say."

"Come, we should go check on the children… make sure they don't bet too much on their youngest brother."


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a week since I've been home.

Sure, this probably terrified everyone I knew. In my 5 years as a demigod, I have been 'kidnapped' twice, died once (officially), and been on the wanted list of the FBI way too many times.

So I wasn't surprised when I started seeing 'Missing' ads popping up on TVs.

" _... 17 year old Percy Jackson went missing May 20th after a strange conversation between him and his swimming coach right before his final swim meet of the school year. Students claim that he was acting strange all day, especially when they mentioned anything about 'seeing him again'. Due to previous records of being kidnapped and wanted, police urge people to keep a careful eye out. If you see him, please call the crimestoppers hotline, since he might be around a dangerous person. Now onto Al for the weather_."

I pulled my hoodie lower across my face, then turn away from the window. In front of me stood the tall skyscrapers of Sioux Falls.

Never heard of it? Yeah, me neither. I can't even say it right, much to the locals' annoyances.

Keeping my head low, I navigated the streets, thinking of the dream message I got last night.

 _Zeus sat at the opposite side of the picnic table, spinning his fork in his hand. "Hello Perseus. Sit."_

 _I bit my tongue and sat down across from the annoying god. Sprayed over the wooden table was an array of food - golden apples, ambrosia baked goods, a pitcher of nectar, fine cuts of red cow steak, and red cheeses of all sorts._

 _Zeus looked bored, but nervousness glittered in his eyes._

" _I believe you have had some… recent developments?"_

 _I scowled. "The wings, you mean?"_

 _Zeus grunted. "Um yeah… those…"_

 _I shifted, locking him into a stare. His brilliant blue eyes reminded me of the iridescent glow of a thunderstorm rolling in._

 _He cleared his throat. "I decided to talk to you in person, so to speak, about-"_

" _It was your fault, wasn't it." I started, raising an eyebrow._

 _Zeus nervously tugged at the collar of his lawyer suit. "Er, yeah…"_

" _Just say you screwed up, man." I sighed. "Just be easier to just admit you did wrong."_

 _Zeus glared at me. "You are annoying."_

" _I spent my entire life annoying gods. I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon." I smirked slightly, watching the storm boil in Zeus' eyes._

 _To my surprise, he sighed. "I suppose you are right. It was my fault you got the wings."_

 _I blinked. "Wait, you're actually admitting you're wrong?"_

" _If you ever tell anyone that I did, I'll make you wish you never saved my bolt."_

 _I held my hands up in mock defeat. "Fair enough. So… how did this even happen?"_

 _Zeus took a sip of iced nectar. "Well, it was when you first went in my domain."_

 _I thought for a moment. "My first quest, when we raised enough money for 3 plane tickets to New York, right after that battle with Ares. That's when you cursed me?"_

 _Zeus nodded._

 _I thought even more. "Tartarus."_

" _Excuse me?" He looked at me like I swallowed his prize bull whole._

" _In Tartarus, we ran into Arai… One of them scratched me, but nothing happened…" I looked at the apples, my vision blurring as my eyes went out of focus. "Turns out something did happen."_

" _I don't think-"_

" _Most curses never happen." I pointed out. "You can go your entire life with a curse that'll never activate." I subconsciously pulled out Riptide, twirling it in my fingers. "Arai exist for the sole purpose of bringing those curses into reality, to activate them."_

 _I placed my pen on the table. "I highly doubt you'd be able to get rid of this… problem."_

 _Zeus frowned. "How are you so sure?"_

 _I shrugged. "Curses don't just go away. I still suffer from the effects of the gorgon poisoning."_

" _Gorgon poisoning?"_

" _I forced Gaia to kill Phineas in a gamble. Not important." I waved the matter to the side and went straight to the question that's been bugging me for days:_

" _Can I fly? Like, actually fly."_

 _Zeus thought for a moment. "Have you tried?"_

 _I looked at him with the 'are you serious' look. "I'm Poseidon's son, do you really think I'd actually try to fly on_ _ **purpose**_ _?"_

 _Zeus smiled guiltily. "Oh, right… Well, I suppose you could if you tried."_

 _I smiled. "That is awe- you're not going to strike me down, are you?"_

" _Not unless you forget to make proper sacrifices."_

" _I'm broke, living on the streets, and halfway starving to death." I deadpanned. Zeus chuckled._

" _I was just joking, Perseus."_

" _It's Percy."_

 _He paused, then smiled. "You know, Perseus hated it when people called him 'Percy' or 'Perce'."_

" _Seriously?" I laughed. It occurred to me right then and there that I was talking to the King of the Gods as if he was some old friend. It was… strange._

" _Yeah… I should send you off... " Zeus folded his hands on the table. "It should be dawn soon."_

 _As the dream faded, I saw Zeus get up. "And Percy, I hope you like the gifts waiting for you."_

" _What gifts?" My voice was lost in the dream as I woke up._

Those 'gifts' were baggies of ambrosia, a pithos of nectar, 3 golden apples, a wheel of cheese, two 500-dollar wads of 20's, 3 days worth of free clothes, a magical tent that the hunters used at night (like the Hunters of Artemis. How the heck Zeus got ahold of one of those still eludes my mind) and a string sack the size of small bookbag.

I guess I just got myself a new patron god.

How refreshing.

I turned down a street, nearly running into someone.

"Hey, watch where ya going, idiot." The guy snapped at me. I kept walking. "Hey, moron. I'm talking to ya."

Great.

The guy grabbed my shoulder, making me spin around. I caught his fist mid-punch, twisting his arm so he was forced into a kneeling position.

"Don't ever try to punch me." I growled, twisting his arm more. He gasped out, looking up at me.

"You're… you're that kid, the one who went missing… Peter Johnson, right?"

I smirked. "Wrong name, bud."

With a smile on my face, I brought my free arm down on his, effectively breaking it.

"Do me a favour, pal. Tell them I was here…"

I let go of his arm and turned, stalking down the street. As I turned to corner, I heard yelling behind me.

Police.

I broke into a sprint, somehow pulling off my hoodie.

"Freeze!" A man's voice grumbled somewhere behind me. I turned another corner, tossing my tattered AHS hoodie to the side. It hit an _empousa_ in the face, muffling whatever threat she was going to use. I felt my wings twitch against my back.

 _It's time to see if I could fly._

I vaulted over a table of a cafe, grabbing the huge metal handle below the sign. Without hesitation, I pulled myself up and started scaling the 20 story building, suing the window ledges as foot and hand holds.

"Sir, please come down peacefully," a woman's voice said over a bullhorn, "and we'll tell authorities you came willingly."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I jumped a little, grabbing the ledge of a 17th story window. As my feet left the ledge below, I heard the sounds of rock tumbling on rock. I glanced back to check the damage.

A crowd of spectators formed, some holding phones up at me like they were taking a picture. There was a blockade of 6 or so police officers, with one of them standing on her car.

"Percy Jackson, please get down."

I made a split moment decision. I pulled myself up so I could stand on the window ledge, turned around, and flipped the lady the bird. I heard some muted laughter from the crowd as I turned back around. Within the next 5 seconds, I pulled myself to the top of the building just as the doors leading inside opened.

"Put your hands up."

"Nce try, not gonna happen." I rolled my eyes, glancing over at the building nearby. It was slightly higher, about 3 more stories. I smirked and sprinted towards it as the police man shouted out.

In a blink of an eye, I leaped towards the building and sailed gracefully over the ledge, rolling to a stop in the gravel roofing. The police man grunted with frustration and said something on his comm.

I quickly lept over building gaps, scaling up the sides until I was higher up. I started feeling a little tired, but I shook my head.

Finally, it was just me and the police lady with the bullhorn atop a 50 story building.

"Kid, you don't have to do this. If you just-"

"Uh, no thanks." I said, looping my bag to my belt loop and tying it secure. "I don't need any pep talks."

"Percy, we are 50 stories up."

"I know. High enough."

The lady shifted nervously, her gun in her hands. "You do have stuff to live for."

I frowned. "You really think I'd commit suicide?" I raised an eyebrow. "No thanks, I'd rather fly. See ya later."

I sprinted to the edge, pulling off my shirt.

Then I dove straight over the edge.


	4. Chapter 4

Sally saw it on the news first hand.

The live view reports of a pursuit of a man in his late teens who could scale buildings as if they were playground toys.

She sat nervously tapping her feet as Paul brought over blue hot chocolate.

"Another quest?" He sat down beside her, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders.

"Gods, I hope not." She managed, shivering and taking a sip of the warm beverage. "But chances are, it is."

"Wouldn't he have called you by now?" Paul questioned. Sally teared up again, curling up in her husband's arms.

Suddenly she heard screaming from the screen. She nearly spilled her hot chocolate, looking up at the screen. There was a body falling from the 50 story building. In a flash of gold and brown, the body disappeared. The camera suddenly panned to show a bird flying away from the scene.

"...Oh my god, did you see that?" The news reporter exclaimed. "I… why are we here?"

The Mist, Sally thought glumly. Whatever just happened, the Mist covered it up.

Paul blinked. "Why are you-"

"Just some heart touching story, dear." She whispered, holding her mug closer to her chest. "I'm fine now."

Paul frowned, but nodded. "If… if you say so."

~snazzy line break~

Tattoos hurt.

I would know, I have one.

But there are things worse than tattoos.

Like… say… getting your eye scratched out?

Too far? Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

It was a little while after the whole 'Kid falling off tower and disappearing' trick I pulled. I found myself living in the woods, practicing my new 'abilities'. My wings got longer somehow, now reaching a 22 foot wingspan of soft feathers matching one of a golden eagle's. I also lost lots of weight, my body changing to adapt to the new set of limbs.

I was taller, leaner, and very… bird-like. Yeah, depressing, isn't it?

Zeus popped up a time or two, usually to update me on things happening at camp.

Oh, you're wondering why I haven't gone back?

Do you realise how many people would strangle me when they saw I was alive? Or the fact that I had wings?

Annabeth alone would be terrifying to watch. I mean, sure… she's at MIT right now, getting her degree in architecture. And she's not my girlfriend anymore (because, well… school reasons. And SAT…. and DSTOMP…), but still. Have you ever angered a child of Athena? Spoiler Alert: It's not pretty.

I kinda just… lived in the woods. I guess the weird bird-genes activated that tiny sliver of Pan in me. My residence is near a town called Crescent, which is a small place southeast of Eugene, OR.

It's very beautiful there, with a nice cave system on the nearest mountain (Diamond Peak) overlooking two crystal clear lakes. I've mapped the entire forest twice already, taught myself how to hunt without being trackable, and how to fly properly.

My first landing wasn't very…. Graceful. I broke a wing, sprained the other, and was grounded for 3 days. The second time I almost flew headfirst into a plane engine The 4th time I accidently landed on a wind turbine.

Of course, I wasn't perfect. The Sea didn't belong in the Sky, but Zeus has held up to his promise… so far.

It was foggy and cloudy that morning, so I decided to enjoy flying under the cover of white. Nothing feels better than flying just above the tree line with mist hitting your face. The wind blew my slightly overgrown hair back, giving me a wider range of vision.

I glided lazily over a road leading towards the lake, watching the yellow lines blur together. The wind roared in my ears, blocking out the sound that I should have heard coming a mile away.

An arrow pierced through my left wing, sending me crashing into a tree next to the road.

Instantaneously, a net wrapped itself around me, bending my wings into impossible shapes. Pain filled my vision as a flicker of light approached me.

Empousa.

I started working slowly to my pocket to pull out Riptide. I didn't know how I was going to fight, with all the pain I was in, but it was worth a try… right?

"Look at what we have here." A sweet voice chided. "My sister would be so proud of me."

I glared up at the blurred face. She giggled softly.

"Now, my dear, I won't hurt you."

"Liar." I gritted my teeth. "You literally broke my wings."

"Such a shame too. They are very beautiful." She agreed. "I'd love to pin them up on the wall back home."

"Hardly think you'd be able to pin these up in Tartarus." I retorted. The girl faltered for a moment.

"What are you talking about? That is hardly a place for our first date."

I grunted. "Uh huh, right."

She bent down, her face coming into focus. Her pale skin glittered dangerously in the morning light. Her hair flickered yellow and blue atop her head, making her red eyes look a little more pink than red.

"Do I get a kiss?"

I scowled. "As if."

She blinked in confusion. "I-"

"Listen, charmspeak doesn't work very well if you don't find the person attractive. And you, frankly, are not very attractive."

Her hair flared, flashing red. "Why you-"

"Holly?" A little girl's voice called out. The empousa paused, then turned in the direction of the voice.

"Amber, I told you to wait inside!" She called.

"I'm… I'm sorry… but… but Kelli asked for you to bring the food here."

I could see a blue ball of blurred light a few feet away, shifting side to side as if it was nervous.

Then the name hit me.

Kelli.

She was out of Tartarus already?

Holly grumbled. "Fine."

Something yanked me out of my blurred conscious. Holly's hand curled into my skin, dragging me across the floor. I saw a face of a much younger girl, about 5 years old, look at me with a sad look in her eyes.

She held her finger to her lips when she saw me looking at her. Then her hand curled into a 3 clawed hand and she slowly pulled it to her heart. She shoved her hand forward, towards Holly, who tripped.

"Argh!" She fell face first into the dirt. "What the-"

I took the chance. My hand pulled Riptide out of my pocket. As Holly got up, the 3 foot bronze blade sprang to life and slashed, breaking the netting. Holly cried out as my blade met her neck, and she went up in a puff of yellow.

"Holly?" Kelli's voice rang in my ears. "Amber?"

Amber grabbed my free hand. "Come on, we need to run." She whispered, her voice far too young for a monster.

I hesitated.

"I swear on the Styx that I'm not going to betray you and eat you. I don't like my sisters. Please." Thunder rippled through the air.

Before I could react, Kelli broke out into the area.

"You!" She growled. She pointed at Amber, who took a step back, dropping my hand. "I should have known." If she noticed me, she didn't show it.

"Ple-please. I-I didn't… I don't."

She lunged forwards. I instinctively stepped in front of her, and swung. Kelli's hand flew too high and I was blinded with red.

The empousa screech as my blade connected with her torso and I was caked in dust.

Something grabbed my hand and guided me left, nearly making me stumble. I followed the small tug in my left arm for a while before collapsing on the floor. The right side of my face was throbbing with pain, my wings burned, my vision was a swirling mix of indistinct blobs.

The last thing I remember was a distant voice humming in my ears and a bright blue blob in my face.

Then I crashed to the ground.

~another snazzy line break~

When I woke up, I was face to face with a ball of blue fire.

Amber's eyes were blue. Her skin was fair, but darker than most empousa. Her teeth were straight, like a human's, which could have passed her off as human if her hair wasn't pure fire.

"Hi?" She tilted her head, her flames flicking and shifting. For a moment, I couldn't see her. I panned my head a little to the right and she came back into focus.

"Uh… hi?" I replied back, not know what to say.

Amber frowned a little. "You have wings."

I nodded a little. "Yeah…" I shifted my weight a little, which wasn't easy when you were laying on a cot on your stomach.

"Is that normal?" She asked politely. I blinked.

"Not really. It's a curse."

"How is pretty wings a curse?" She furrowed her golden eyebrows together in confusion.

I laughed a little. "That's a good question. My dad is-"

"Poseidon. Yes, you smell like the beach. Like a freshly cleaned beach." She mused. "Not like most."

"Most?" I tried to raise my eyebrow, but for some weird reason the right side of my face was numb and stiff.

"Yes. Most smell like meat." She wrinkled her nose. "Then again, they were dead. I hate meat."

Well that's a first.

"Right…"

She shook her head. "You smell better than that. I'm glad I met you." She extended her left hand out. "I'm Amber!"

She blinked. "Oh wait, you already knew that." She frowned. "Sorry."

I laughed a little. "It's okay. I'm Percy."

"Persea?" She giggled. "That's funny."

It took me a moment to realise what she meant. "Oh, yeah. I guess it is."

She smiled brighter, her roots flashing green for a moment. "I tried to fix your wings… they were really bent, and I don't think it was normal for them to look like that… I also tried to fix your eye."

"My eye?"

She nodded. "Sister Kelli tore it up… it's blue now. Is it supposed to be blue?"

My mind swirled. Blue? "No… Can you help me get up?"

Her eyes widened, then she nodded frantically. Slowly, she helped me off the cot and onto my feet. My wings took up most of the space of the cavern we were in, making it hard to move about.

"Are you okay? You're really quiet." She whispered softly.

"Yeah… I'm fine."

"You're… you're not scared… scared of me, are you?" She stammered, looking up at me with sad blue eyes.

I shook my head. "Why would I? You saved my life, Amber." I pulled her closer to me. Her flames licked harmlessly at my shirt, despite the fact they should have burned me. They were, like they were ice and not flames.

"You promise?"

I bent down. "Amber. I am not scared of you. You are too cute to be scary."

She smiled a little. "Rweally?"

"Really. How about we go find my home, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."


	5. Chapter 5

I hate Oregon.

Everything about it was horrible. The tourists, the crazy amount of monsters, the mosquitoes. It was late fall, there shouldn't be any mosquitoes here!

The others were unusually silent. Artemis herself wasn't saying a word, just walking slowly through the woods of whatever national park they were at.

The goddess looked around nervously everything a twig snapped, or would stop suddenly if she smelled something 'strange'. She even took on a much older form this time - a 19 year old girl with a mohawk french braid of auburn hair trailing down her back. Her silver moon necklace-crown glittered on her copper forehead in in sunlight as the 6 of us trudging forwards to an unknown location.

One of the hunters, Naomi, stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" I whispered. Her eyes darted from tree to tree.

"I- I saw something. Blue." Her thicker accent seeped into her voice, which was never a good sign.

I frowned, mentally going over a list in my head where the monsters had blue on them. "That can't be goo-"

Then the net sprang.

When I woke up, I was hanging upside down. Firelight flickered darkly against the trees, the sky now dark. I calculated that I must have been out for 6 or so hours, which didn't help much.

I twisted her body and found that the net was shockingly loose. I grabbed the soft wires and righted her body, giving me a better view of where I was.

There were 6 nets, each one containing a huntress (or goddess, if you include Artemis). Most of them were out cold, but Artemis sat cross legged in her net, watching the fire with a poker face.

"My lady?" I croaked out. Artemis looked up at me with solid silver eyes.

"I haven been caught. I must be freed." She whispered. Her hair was a mess and her skin was blotchy. It took me a moment to realise that she must have been crying.

"M'lady, I'll get you out, I have my-"

My voice faulted. Glittering 10 feet away was a pile of silver weapons.

Every single weapon the hunters had.

A lump formed in mys throat. _Okay_ , I thought, _maybe if I could unweave these wires?_

Upon further inspection, I noticed the wires were blended yarn made of feathered Celestial Bronze - soft but flexible and nearly indestructible.

Something blue flickered in the corner of my eye. I turned and saw a little girl, about 6 or 7, with glowing blue hair. She had a floor length dress covered with daisy designs. She was hiding behind a boulder, eyeing the weapons.

She caught my eye and put a finger to her lips.

 _Shhhh._

I frowned, but the girl shook her head. She pointed at the weapons, then at me, then to the sky.

A branch snapped, pulling my attention away from the glowing haired girl. An Earthborn man broke into view from the woods, his six arms carrying logs the size of laundry baskets. I watched him as he dropped the wood he was carrying in the fire.

"What do you want." I demanded. The Earthborn grinned.

"Dinner, obviously." He grunted, towering over the me. The girl with the blue hair darted behind him with a bottle of… was that A.1. sauce?

Before I could comment on it, Naomi stirred, distracting the Earthborn. The girl zipped to the pile of weapons, picking up a necklace, a bow, a quiver, and my bracelet before running back to her boulder. _Great, she's a thief._

A small pop sparked to life in the wagon beside Artemis. In a flash of silver light, the wagon burst into flames.

The Earthborn's face fell. "No no no, cursed child! _Where is she?!_ "

He stormed to his wagon, looking around. The girl ran to me with a determined look on her face. As she got closer, I noticed her hair wasn't glowing, it was on fire.

In one swift motion, the cut the wires of the netting, a hole barely big enough for me to slip through.

She darted to the nearest tree and beckoned for me to follow. I looked behind my shoulder at Artemis, who was more interested in the fire than me.

I slipped out of the net and tumbled gracefully across the ground. The little girl waved for me to hurry up. Then she disappeared over a river and into the woods.

I took one last look behind me before running straight into a net over the river.

When I woke up again, I was in a familiar tent.

Silver silk glittered above my head, tinted blue but an unknown light source. I sat up, my head spinning. Being knocked out twice within the same day was not fun.

The tent was simple - 2 beds, a few blankets, and some fur pillows. I didn't recognise the other bed, which worried me little.

Slowly I slipped out of the bed, my bare feet meeting the silver floor. I noticed my bow and quiver lying on the floor next to the bed, with my bracelet nearly wrapped around the strap of my quiver. The necklace, Artemis' crown necklace, was on the table at the foot of the bed.

I padded over to the desk, picking up the delicate chain. The crescent moon made of pearl glittered in the mysterious lighting of the room. I went to pocket the chain when I realise I wasn't wearing my hunting clothes. Instead, I wore a black shirt 3 sizes too big and a pair of black and white striped sleep shorts.

I panicked. No one was supposed to see a huntress naked, it was a divine crime. I spun around frantically, draping m'lady's crown on my head. I grabbed my quiver, slinging it over my back, and nocking an arrow.

Slowly I padded my way to the entrance of the tent, which was conveniently unzipped.

I stepped out into a cool, dry cave. Jars of greek fire lit the sides of the walls, giving the place an eery glow to it. I saw the entrance to the cave a few feet to my left.

As I approached the entrance, my stomach dropped. Spread out before me was the entire view of the sunrise over 2 beautiful lakes. The waters sparkled in the early lights of day, making the whole view peaceful… if I wasn't 6,000 or so feet in the air.

I took a step back, nearly dropping my bow. A squeak echoed behind me and i spun around, face to face with the girl with flame hair.

"You- you're up." She said with wide eyes. "I… I'm sorry, I just left the tent for some water… Would you like some?"

The girl looked even younger up close, probably just 5 years of age, which struck me as odd. I shook my head.

"Where am I?" I said calmly, which took a lot of effort.

"Home." She said softly.

"Um… You live here?"

She nodded. "Yep. This is home. Much much better than the last one."

"What are you?" I took a step forward. She took a step back.

"I'm Amber." Her voice shook. "Please don't kill me."

I realised I was still armed with my bow. I placed the arrow back in my quiver and slung my bow over my shoulder.

"Am?" A deeper, smoother, and older voice called from somewhere from inside the cave. Amber's hair flared bright green for a moment.

"Yes?!" She called out.

"Could you come here real quick?" I could sense the masculinity in the voice, making me instinctively reach for my bow again. Amber turned to the voice and bound deeper into the cave, her blue hair disappearing from my view.

I heard louder, heavier footsteps approach. Once again, I drew my bow as the shadowy figure came into view.

"Who are you!" I demanded.

The man chuckled. "Dear gods, it hasn't been that long, has it?"

The voice tugged a memory from the back of my mind. I knew that voice.

He took another step forward and I drew my bow, aiming it at his chest. I could faintly make out 3 distinct scars crossing from his mid temple to his far-right mid-cheek, right over his eye. His hair was overgrown by several inches, pieces framing his face like a painting. His face was angular, though I couldn't make out any other features.

"Thalia," The voice chided. "You can put the bow up."

"You violated the code of the hunters. You got me changed, you saw me naked. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you."

The man plucked a jar of Greek Fire off the floor. In one horrifying moment, I feared he would break the jar and kill me. Instead he brought the neon glow closer to his face.

I dropped the bow. It clattered to the floor with a hollow 'clunck', my arrow flying astray and into a crack in the wall.

Standing before me was Percy Jackson, his green eye glittering with amusement, and a smirk dancing across his face.

"Hey Pinecone Face." He mused. "Long time, no see."


	6. Chapter 6

Zeus paced his private quarters, deep in thought.

He's been doing _a lot_ of pacing lately.

He thought about the dream message he got from Percy. How on sour Mother Gaia's earth he managed to do that still eluded Zeus' mind, but he was fully aware of the situation.

" _Hey, don't panic, I kinda kidnapped your daughter on accident. Just, like, help me if Artemis goes all Chernobyl because of it. Lol thanks ya much my man. GTG she's waking up."_

Zeus was starting to regret the curse, but only a little. This was Percy we were talking about, the kid lived and breathed to be a pain in every god's arse.

But a small part of Zeus, a little feeling, actually liked Percy being in the sky. Zeus couldn't decide what that feeling was, it was very foreign to him. All he knew was that he _liked_ Percy, in one way or another.

The thought gave Zeus a headache. If the others found out… well, he'll be more of a laughing stock than when Ares and Aphrodite got caught in bed together.

He sighed, turning back to his bolt laying on the bed. It looked completely harmless in its 2 foot dormant state. Zeus began to wonder if the weapon was really the reason he cursed Percy, or if it was something deeper.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Even 10 minutes after the bombshell Percy dropped on me, I still couldn't believe that he was… there.

The sun was shining in the cave, lighting up her surroundings. The cave was simple, grey stone that was slightly jagged, with thick jars of greek fire wedged in avery crack big enough. The silver tent glittered blue in the sunlight, like the sky peeking out from behind a cloud.

"How dd you do it?" I blurted out. Percy looked up from his book, raising his left eyebrow.

"Do what?" He said calmly.

"Survive? I mean, you disappeared 15 months ago, and everyone thought you were dead. I mean, you dove of a building, for Zeus' sake!"

Percy frowned. "It's been 15 months?"

My jaw went slack. "You mean… you mean you don't even know how long you've been gone?"

He shrugged. "Never bothered asking. It wasn't really important."

"Not important!?" I stared at him with wide eyes. "Why did you even leave in the first place?"

Percy shifted uncomfortably. "That's… That's not important right now."

I growled. "Percy-"

"Thalia, please," he replied back, his blue eye staring straight at me. "It's not-"

I stood up, drew my arrow, and aimed it at his face.

" _Tell me_."

He slowly slipped the bookmark on his page, closed the book, and set it to the side.

I watched impatiently as he stood up, dusting off his clothes.

Then, he sighed. "Don't shoot, don't panic, don't get mad."

He took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and rolled his shoulders. Slowly, something large extended out from behind him. At first I thought it was some sort of monster, an eidolon or something.

But then I saw the colours. Golden tones of yellow, brown, white, and black all mixed together in a feathery blend. The colours extended until they brushed the edges of the cave and made a definitive shape. My mouth dried when I realised what they were.

Percy shifted nervously, his wings half-opened. "Listen, can we hurry? This is a little un-"

"You… you have… you have wings… Like actual… how?" I stuttered, my eyes wider than before.

Percy frowned. "Yes, I have wings. It's a 'curse'."

"A curse? From who?"

He bit his lip. "Your dad."

His wings twitched, folding back in.

"Wait!"

"You can look at them later. It's a little painful to only open the halfway. Kinda like holding a chin-up for too long." He said through gritted teeth. I watched as his wings slipped back behind him.

I nodded a little and Amber's head popped out from behind the tent. "I found it!"

In her little hands was a ballpoint pen. Riptide.

She scampered across the floor, towards Percy. She made a weird sound, like wood hitting stone, then metal hitting wood. Her floor length dress was ripped a little at the seams, making a few daisies look more like half suns. She smiled and offered the pen to Percy.

He smiled back and gingerly took his weapon, slipping it behind his ear. "Thanks, sweetie."

Amber smiled and hugged Percy's leg. I raised my eyebrow.

"Thalia, this is Amber." he smiled slightly. "She's my little scout."

She nodded firmly. "I found you. Percy said you are a good person and that your won't kill me."

"Kill you?" I questioned. "Why would i kill you."

Amber firsted nervously. "Because you are huntress. You hunt monsters, and you might think of me as one." She looked at the floor, where her feet should be.

I looked up at Percy.

"She's an empousa." He laced his fingers through his hair. "She risked her life to save mine, swore loyalty on the Styx, yada yada. And she makes a mean apple pie."

Amber giggled softly. "My apple pies are nice. Not mean." She corrected, cracking a smile. Her fangs were barely visible, like tiny ant hills on a plain of white.

"Yeah, you're right…" Percy mused.

"Um, Perce?" I cleared my throat He looked back up at me. "Could you maybe help the rest of my hunt?"

He frowned. "I kinda… can't."

I glared at him. "Why not?!"

He sighed. "Because they're hoping it would lure me out. The monsters… they've been hunting me."

"Since when are they not?" I exclaimed.

"Thalia, this is different. My wings add to the price on my head. How many demigods do you know with wings?"

I thought for a moment. "The Boreads?"

"That's two. Two demigods from _four thousand years ago_."

 _That's a really good point._

"They're just wings."

"With magical abilities, apparently." He grumbled. "Or at least, that's what the monsters think."

"You haven't tested to see if that's true?" I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Why should I? That'll only confirm it and make the price on my head higher."

I sighed. "Percy, please. Artemis… she's been kidnapped."

He paused. "That part I was not informed about." He frowned. "That would explain why she hasn't tried to smite me yet."

I waited impatiently, wondering how the Hades Percy survived this long. "So…"

Amber pulled at his shirt. "Persea? We are going to help them, right?"

Her blue eyes got wider and her lower lip stuck out. Percy took one look at her and sighed.

"Alright, fine." He huffed. "We'll help them."

"Yay!" Amber cheered, clapping her hands. Then she turned and raced down the hall in search of something.

"You can't say no to her, can you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I dare you to say no to a face like that."

I smirked a little. "Uh huh, right."

He flipped me the bird, which I found ironically funny, and grabbed his book. He stalked to the tent and disappeared inside. A few instances later he remerged with a light blue string sack the size of a little kid's bookbag. There was an iridescent glow to it, like the same way an oncoming storm seemed to glow in the distance in a fancy photo-slide you see online. I watched him as he began collecting his greek fire jars, slipping them into the bag one by one. The bag seemed to eat them up, but it didn't increase in size.

"Gift from Poseidon?" I guessed as he placed the last jar in, which would have been jar number 40.

"Naw, Zeus." He said, shaking the bag. "Enchanted to supply me with necessities in emergencies and safely store whatever I put in it. Kinda like Leo's toolbelt, but more flashy."

As if the bag was making a point, lightning flashed across the fabric in a white light. He sighed. "Your dad really likes to show off. I told him a glowing bag was NOT the way to go, but he's just as stubborn as… well…" He frowned. "Gods, nothing is as stubborn as he is."

"Dad gave you that? Doesn't he hate you. I mean… he did curse you."

"And felt bad afterwards. At least, I think he felt bad. He hasn't smite me out of the sky yet." Percy mused a little. "Then again, he might have been the reason why I almost ran into a plane…" he waved his hand like he was dismissing the matter. Then he turned to the tent and pushed a piece of the fabric. It slowly started to collapse on itself. Soon it was the size of a pack of gum.

"That's a hunter tent!" I exclaimed. "How did you-"

"Again, it was Zeus."

I shook my head. Percy click his tongue. "He kinda became my patron. Which I guess is better than having Hera as my patron."

"Dad is your patron?"

He pointed behind his back. "I mean, with these I kinda have to have him as my patron."

"Makes sense…" I drawled, watching him pack up. "So, how am I gonna get out of the cave?"

Percy looked at me with his 'are you seriously asking that' face. "We fly."

I felt the blood drain from my face. I was already feeling nauseous from being so high up, there was no way I was going to fly down. "Um, there's got to be some paths…"

"Thalia we're about 60 or so miles away from where the others are, which is at Crater Lake." Percy deadpanned. "And at least 30 miles away from the nearest city. Flying is straighter and faster."

My stomach flipped from the idea. "You carried me 60 miles in the air… here?"

Percy pierced his lips. "Yeah. It was easy when you were knotted up in a net. Sorry about that, by the way."

"No… no problem." My mouth dried up. "Are… are you going to carry me in a net again."

He thought for a moment. "It would be easier. I could strap the ropes in different places to distribute the weight more. But you'd also be in open air and be stuck swaying around a little bit."

I nearly doubled over from the thought. Percy went silent for a moment. "On the other hand, it would be harder for you to just hold on to me. If you let go, I'd only have a split second to catch you. Even then, it would put Amber's life in danger, and you'd probably get injured in the process."

"So my choices are swaying net or the hug of death? That's reassuring."

Percy offered a smile. "I mean, it could be worse. You could be the one doing the flying."

I found a hint of teasing in his voice. I realised he was referring to the Sun Chariot Incident. I punched his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" He pouted. I glared at him.

"That was for teasing me." I said, which caused him to smile.

"Teasing? I was merely stating the facts."

"Shut up Kelp Head." I grumbled. Amber dashed back into the room with a silver net. Her blue hair had somehow been tied up into pigtails and she had swapped out her outfit for a silver hoodie and a black skirt. Her hood was up so her flames trickled down her shoulders.

"Are we ready?" she asked, tilting her head. Percy smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we are. Thalia, let's go save your hunt."


End file.
